Wilkin sees red to hand Bradford storming win

It took Bradford only 24 hours to regain the two points they were stripped for breaching the salary cap last year, as they won a gripping game in driving rain in which St Helens' Great Britain loose forward Jon Wilkin became only the second player this season to be sent off.

Wilkin was shown the red card in the 60th minute for a high tackle on the young Bulls substitute Matt James, a dismissal which puts him in danger of missing the rematch between these clubs in the Challenge Cup semi-final in a fortnight.

The farmer's son from east Yorkshire is one of the game's most eloquent players, writing his own column for the BBC website and even co-hosting a Blue Peter rugby league special earlier this year. But he is no stranger to disciplinary problems, having been dismissed once before at Odsal in the match that led to the betting scandal surrounding Sean Long and Martin Gleeson on Easter Monday 2004.

This was Bradford's first home game since the departure of Lesley Vainikolo for rugby union. But old habits die hard, and he was still listed at left wing on the official teamsheet - either wishful thinking, or perhaps a sneak preview of the side they will field when they face St Helens again in the Challenge Cup semi-final in a fortnight, with speculation rife that Vainikolo will return north to help the Bulls in their bid to reach Wembley.

They managed very well without him in establishing an 8-0 half-time lead, as St Helens endured the unusual experience of playing a second consecutive half without scoring a point following their shut-out by Leeds in the second 40 minutes of the 22-10 defeat last Friday.

Bradford were 2-0 ahead inside two minutes with their captain, Paul Deacon, kicking a penalty after Saints had been caught offside in front of their own posts. That set the tone for the opening exchanges, with the Bulls well on top and the champions well below their best. But it still took almost half an hour for the Saints defence to crack, a tribute to their organisation and determination, but also thanks to a couple of missed Bradford chances.

Terry Newton squandered the first, with his decision to ignore the supporting wing Marcus St Hilaire punished by Paul Wellens' tackle. Then David Solomona blew the momentum created by a break from the Bulls substitute Sam Burgess.

So they were hugely relieved when the first try finally arrived, and unconcerned that it came courtesy of a bad defensive error, as the big Saints wing Ade Gardner failed to tidy up Deacon's kick allowing St Hilaire to touch down the loose ball.

There were hints of the balance of power shifting before half-time, with only Jon Wilkin's failure to spot the supporting Willie Talau costing Saints a glorious chance to hit back. They made amends 12 minutes into the second half, having adjusted more quickly than Bradford to the change in the playing conditions from miserable to atrocious, as Talau slithered over on the left after the Bulls prop Andy Lynch had dropped the ball in the rain.

The next passage of play was as brutal, and absorbing, as anything the Super League has seen all season, with both packs of forwards seeking big hits. Saints' New Zealand prop, Jason Cayless, had already been warned for a shot on his former Test team-mate David Solomona when Wilkin saw red, and the latter offence allowed Deacon to extend Bradford's lead to 10-4 with his third goal.

St Helens responded defiantly to the loss of Wilkin and twice threatened to score an equalising try, with the tiny Bulls substitute Dave Halley showing great strength to hold up Gardner before Talau fluffed a golden chance created by the former Bradford stand-off Leon Pryce. They kept battering the Bradford line until the end, but the Bulls held to end a mixed week in memorable style - even if their points tally is unchanged from Wednesday.